Magnum in Istanbul: Human Rights

Presented at Bulgur Palas, Magnum in Istanbul: Human Rights - The Haves and Have Nots brought together documentary photographs from the Magnum Photos archive to examine the contemporary relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Organised around its thirty articles, the exhibition explored themes of freedom, equality, displacement, conflict, and dignity through images produced across diverse geographical and political contexts. Pairing each article of the Declaration with photographs by Magnum photographers, the exhibition invited visitors to reflect on the continuing relevance of human rights in the twenty-first century. Developed through a close collaboration between Magnum Photos and Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, the exhibition presented documentary photography as a powerful medium for witnessing, questioning, and making visible the ongoing tensions between rights guaranteed and rights denied.